Browns report card: Grading the positions in Cleveland’s Week 5 defeat

The Cleveland Browns trip to London ended with another heartbreaking defeat against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 5, the Browns decided to hand the reins over to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who had a solid performance in his NFL debut. He managed to spread the ball around fairly well, mainly targeting veteran tight end David Njoku, who led the team with 67 receiving yards and a touchdown. Fellow tight end Harold Fannin Jr. also continued his strong NFL start with four receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins had another incredible game with 128 total yards, 110 of which came on the ground. Overall, the offense took a step in the right direction in terms of productivity and looked like a much more cohesive unit against the Vikings.

The defensive line had a tremendous day, but that’s where the greatness stopped for the Browns’ defense in London. Defensive end Alex Wright had a fantastic performance with four combined tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Another continued bright spot has been standout rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who led the team with a career-high 12 total tackles. Overall, the defense won the turnover battle, which should’ve been enough for a victory. Instead, a late, game-winning drive by the Vikings left their performance with a worse reflection.

Let’s now take a look at the Browns’ position grades from their Week 5 defeat in London:

Quarterback: C+ 

Head coach Kevin Stefanski rightfully handed the reins over to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, opting out of starting Joe Flacco once more. Gabriel had a cautious but smart day throwing the football. He finished with 190 passing yards and two touchdowns while managing zero interceptions on 33 pass attempts. For his NFL debut on the road, it was a very good first step for the third-round pick, who will get another opportunity against the Steelers next week.

Hopefully, we’ll get to see Gabriel open up the field more with his throws in Week 6. The Steelers are known to have a dominant defense under longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, but there is very little tape on many of the Browns’ rookie playmakers. Hopefully, the rushing attack will continue to find success and open up passing opportunities for the Browns’ new quarterback.

Running Backs: B

The Browns have found their present and future at running back in Quinshon Judkins. Against the Vikings, Judkins had a career-high 110 rushing yards on 23 attempts. He’s now averaging 95.3 rushing yards per game over his last three outings. Along with an electric touchdown run that was called back for holding, Judkins had a very promising day, one that showed he could become one of the NFL’s most dynamic running backs. Backup running back Jerome Ford also had some production in this matchup, totaling 38 yards on seven total touches in London.

Judkins now has 347 total rushing yards, ranking 9th in the NFL among all running backs and skill players. This is particularly impressive considering he did not participate in the Browns’ season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Nonetheless, Judkins has stepped up as the spotlight player for Cleveland’s offense, and he’ll continue to have one of the more significant roles for the Browns for the remainder of 2025.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C-

The Browns’ pass catchers suffered under the team’s successful run game in this Week 5 matchup. It was also difficult to get the ball downfield with a very short leash on rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, limiting many opportunities for Cleveland’s wide receivers and tight ends. Still, the tight ends managed to have productive days, as David Njoku led the team with 67 receiving yards and a touchdown catch. Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. chipped in with 13 yards and a touchdown of his own for the Browns’ first score of the game.

For the Browns’ wide receivers, it couldn’t have been a quieter day despite a somewhat successful showing from Gabriel. Even though he had a solid box score, the play-calling was very conservative and unfriendly to the wide receiver group. After seeing some promising first steps against Minnesota, hopefully we’ll see Gabriel deliver more highlight plays to his receivers in Week 6.

Offensive Line: C- 

It was a productive day for some and a rough one for others on the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line. Left guard Joel Bitonio continued his strong 2025 campaign with another reliable performance against the Vikings, earning the team’s top offensive PFF grade with a 79.9. Others, like left tackle KT Leveston, had a day to forget. He finished last on the team with a 35.6 overall grade and committed several notable mistakes for the Browns’ offense. Overall, it was a good enough day to keep the Vikings’ defensive line off quarterback Dillon Gabriel for most of the game and to provide multiple opportunities for the rushing attack.

The Browns have some major questions that need to be answered at the left tackle position. They recently traded for offensive tackle Cam Robinson, who saw minimal playing time in this matchup. Even with limited snaps, he posted a 45.0 overall PFF grade, showing little promise as a major upgrade over Leveston. The options are limited, so Cleveland will most likely continue rotating tackles until something sticks. The expectation is that Robinson will get a chance to start against the Steelers in Week 6 after Leveston’s poor performance.

Defensive Line: A- 

As expected, the Browns’ defensive line was the team’s best position group of the day against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 5, this group managed to collect three sacks and two forced fumbles in a heroic effort to win the game. The clear standouts were defensive end Alex Wright and defensive tackle Maliek Collins. Wright recorded four tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble, while Collins notched two sacks on Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz, bringing his season total to 3.5. Browns defensive tackles Shelby t

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has already proven that the Browns have one of the league’s best defensive lines. Defensive end Myles Garrett and company have shown in every game that they can be difference-makers. Hopefully, the offense can now find some support and new life under quarterback Dillon Gabriel to help this unit secure victories. Next week, they’ll finish their gauntlet stretch against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are expected to do all they can to neutralize this group’s impact in Week 6.

Linebackers: B- 

To no surprise, rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger continues to impress with each game. He collected a career-high 12 total tackles against the Minnesota Vikings, placing him 9th among the NFL’s tackle leaders. He’s quickly emerged as one of the Browns’ best defenders and is among the top linebackers in the AFC North so far. Another key contributor from this group was linebacker Devin Bush, who continued his strong 2025 campaign with six total tackles, bringing his season total to 36. He’s still on pace to possibly break his career high for tackles in a season.

Cleveland’s linebackers have been a solid supporting cast for their dominant defensive line. Schwesinger and Bush have combined for more tackles in 2025 than any other AFC North linebacker duo. While that may not seem like a large feat, few experts projected them to outperform the Steelers’ and Ravens’ veteran linebacker groups. Next week, the Browns’ linebackers will get a chance to prove themselves against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 6 matchup.

Defensive Backs: D+ 

It was a difficult watch for Browns fans as the Cleveland secondary struggled to stop the Vikings’ passing attack. Along with collecting zero interceptions against backup quarterback Carson Wentz, the group also allowed 164 yards and a touchdown to Minnesota’s top two wide receivers. Wentz’s second and final touchdown pass came at the worst moment, when the Vikings marched down the field and took the lead with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

In uncharacteristic form compared to the rest of the defense, Cleveland’s secondary has had a rollercoaster season so far. Cornerback Denzel Ward has continued his concerning start to the year, and many other Browns defensive backs have not performed up to their potential. If this unit can find some consistency, there’s no reason the Browns shouldn’t have one of the NFL’s best defensive groups.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns report card: Grading the positions in Cleveland’s Week 5 defeat